The at or near room temperature detection of infrared radiation is becoming important in a wide range of applications in the civilian, industrial, medical, astronomical and military sectors. Infrared radiation can be detected by photon detectors and thermal detectors. However, excessive dark current levels can impede reliable detection of radiation by infrared detectors. Dark current is the background noise generated by thermal activity in a photodetector. In the semiconductor materials used in photodetectors, the dark current typically increases with temperature. Hence, the dark current effectively determines an operating temperature limit for a detector of well below room temperature. It is common for cooling temperatures to be at or below 77 degrees Kelvin (77 K). This can require a substantial cooling system to reduce detector temperatures to the necessary level. Therefore, a need exists for near room temperature detection of infrared radiation without substantial cooling requirements.